Beetroot Soup with Mushroom and Tofu

There are many fresh beetroots newly on in the farmers’ market recently. Beetroot isn’t local vegetable here so I didn’t have it very often before. The shop owner kindly told me not to waste the fresh stalks and leaves because they are even more nutritious than the root! Their texture is in between celery and spinach. Beetroot is getting more and more popular and it’s considered super food as it has a range of health benefits. I would like to make a quick and simple soup with it and other two healthy ingredients, mushroom and tofu.

Serve 4

Ingredients –
Beetroot, two, 600g, including stalk and leaf;
Mixed mushrooms, 300g, pick any types you prefer;
Firm silky tofu, 1;
Ginger, one big chunk, about 15g, smashed with knife;
Salt, black pepper and olive oil.

How to do –
1. Beetroots peeled and cut into thick slices or cubes; stalks and leaves washed and cut into big chunks;
2. In a deep pot, add in 4 cups of water, ginger and the beetroots. Bring to boil and simmer in medium low heat for 20 minutes;

3. Tofu cut into big cubes and I would like to fry them so that they wouldn’t break in the soup;
4. Also give a quick toast of the mushrooms. I don’t want them to release a lot juice while cooking in the soup;

5. Beetroot stalks and leaves have strong earthy smell that I don’t like so I would give them a quick blanch. In another pot, add in plenty of water, bring to boil, add a pinch of salt and blanch the stalks and leaves in a few seconds. Don’t be long! Otherwise it would lost its nutrition;

6. Add in the mushrooms, tofu, and the beetroot stalks and leaves in the soup pot and simmer for 10 more minutes;
7. Season with salt and served with a good pinch of black pepper and olive oil.